RONAN Tynan’s story is one of triumph over adversity. He is a man who, at 38, still has a kid’s single-minded goal: to achieve as much as he can. This Irish tenor, one of the famed Three Irish Tenors appearing at Madison Square Garden Monday and at Nassau Coliseum Thursday, was born with a serious malformation of his ankles and feet, making it impossible for him to walk normally. As a child he overcame the problem with the help of braces, and in his teens he went on to become a competing equestrian.

But the strain of horsemanship aggravated his condition, and at 21 he made the decision to have both of his legs amputated below the knee. Scary? Perhaps, but in the end his handicap proved to be no obstacle in his extraordinary career.

Within a year Tynan was competing in the Special Olympics – both as an equestrian and in track and field – eventually winning 18 gold medals between 1981 and 1984 (including the games held in New York and Seoul). He currently holds 14 world records.

As if that weren’t enough, Tynan enrolled in 1988 in Dublin’s Trinity College Medical School, where he received a degree and went on to launch his own sports-medicine practice.

In his free time he sang – at parties, to the family’s herd of cows, in pubs for pints and for just about anyone who would listen. He was good enough to get on the BBC talent search TV show “Go for It” in 1994, and he won the competition.

Since then, Tynan has established a formidable reputation throughout Europe with his voice. Next up, he tries to conquer America.

Post: What exactly is your handicap?

Tynan: I was born with a bilateral abduction of both ankles and a failure of the fibula bone to completely form.

Post: And this makes walking a challenge?

Tynan: Yes. It’s quite serious – however I used to walk without the aid of appliances [prosthetics]. From an early age I strived to go where I couldn’t go and do things I couldn’t do. I never saw anything as an obstacle because I’d always worked out an alternative way of achieving my goal. Like when I was a kid, to give myself full balance I wore wellies [knee-high rubber boots]. I was in business with the kind of stability they gave me. Then I found a bike in the local dump. I rebuilt it and that was my mode of transport for about five years.

Post: How did your parents respond to your condition?

Tynan: I always had an amazing relationship with my father. We were extremely close. He always allowed me my freedom to try anything. He never objected to anything, even though he was scared what might happen to me. My mother wanted me to be as educated as possible, so between them both I was encouraged in everything I tried.

Post: What was it like at school?

Tynan: I went to school with appliances in short pants. I was never allowed to feel different, therefore I never felt the problems as I developed and grew up. Sure, there were the usual kids who would call you names and try and bully you, but I dealt with them and I was able to stand up for myself. Then it just subsided.

Post: When you were 9 years old you started riding horses. Why?

Tynan: We always had horses in the family, and my parents were advised to get me into a sport that would develop me. So dad bought me a pony. I named him Sunbeam. When you get this kind of positivity from your parents, it reflects in your life. I’m not saying everything was always rosy – sometimes it was really tough – but it was always good.

Post: What did the hard times teach you?

Tynan: The degree of toughness really shapes your life and shapes your character. You learn to know about people and to accept them for what they are. I learned once my heart and mind were one, there were no further obstacles. Live every moment for what it is – then you’re flying.

Post: Is it hard for you to feel compassion for people who complain about small problems?

Tynan: I love people who try. I’ll never knock somebody who tries. I’ve seen people overcome their challenges with only strength and conviction. But everyone should make it their business to conquer challenges in secrecy, to conquer them within themselves.

Post: That sounds a little odd from someone who has overcome his handicap so publicly.

Tynan: Let me explain it to you. I have done it privately. I conquered my challenges in the privacy of my own mind, but the public has viewed me as someone who is different. I am no different from anyone else you see walking down the road. The fact that I use appliances to allow me to walk is a secondary thing. When I sing it’s my voice that they hear. Nobody comes to my concerts to watch me.

Post: How does practicing medicine fit into all of this?

Tynan: I love medicine. I love seeing people get well in front of me. I love meeting people. I think that some people are more comfortable with me as a doctor because they think that I can understand their pain.

Post: Do John McDermott or Anthony Kearnes, your co-tenors on this tour, ask you medical advice?

Tynan: They do. I don’t mind. If I can help them I surely will.

Post: Do you believe in God?

Tynan: Yes, most definitely. He has a plan for me, whether it is through my voice or through healing. I’ll follow that path, because I am afraid of him. I’m no angel.

Post: Has your disability made you stronger?

Tynan: I have developed in mind and body as a result of this. I have become a strong character and maybe in some degree more understanding of the fires that confront other people. It has also made me much more aggressive with taking chances, charging ahead, and not letting things fall on top of me. My physical challenge has in no way hurt me.